Forward-Thinking Education

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Forward-Thinking Education

September 28, 2011 at 12:37 pm | Posted in Rob's Blog | 2 Comments

Do you want a great example of forward-thinking education?

I just had one of the thrills of my educational life as I saw our four Upper School Science teachers launch, with the help of 35 advanced Science students, a thing they call ASI. What is ASI, you ask? Advanced Science Inquiry. Students from advanced classes in Physics, Chemistry and Biology combine to form research teams pursuing the most sophisticated science questions they can identify. The group as a whole – all 35 students and four faculty – frame the questions, then set up teams to design experiments, team roles and who know where it goes from there. No canned experiments where everyone knows the outcomes, no limits set. This is exactly what makes Wellington different from other school, on top of a great foundation we give students room and support to grow in unexpected directions with no limits! The Committee of Ten might be scratching their collective heads. Who is the Committee of Ten? More on that next time.

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Well, as one of the “4 Science Teachers” I have to say that the start of ASI (Advanced Scientific Inquiry) has been terrific. We just met with our students to brainstorm topics for their investigations. The ideas were big and bold and concerned with current issues in our world. We, the teachers, are hoping that by following through the entire scientific cycle, commonly known as the scientific method, but doing it with interesting research questions that may take years to solve, our students will experience what it is to be a scientist. This may prompt a student about a college major or a career path or just a lifelong curiosity.

Comment by John Kruzan— September 28, 2011 #
I can’t wait to hear what their findings are!

Comment by Jennifer Jupp— November 3, 2011 #

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